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Eight county players highlight the Southern California All-Star team for the first SoCal vs. Arizona All-Star Game, which will be held Saturday night at 7 p.m. at the Surprise Baseball Complex in Surprise, Ariz. Cajon quarterback Thomas Carter, Colton linebacker Devan Hussey, Redlands offensive lineman Jordan Smith and defensive lineman John Siliga, Redlands East Valley defensive backs Taylor Fernandez and Josh Armstrong and Kaiser linebackers Davonte Manning and Dennis Taylor will be playing Saturday for the SoCal team, which will have an all-star cast of retired coaches at the helm.

Former Fontana and Kaiser coach Dick Bruich will be part of a staff that includes former Claremont coach Bob Baiz and former Damien coach Dick Larson.

Cajon quarterback Thomas Carter, the 2010 All-Sun Most Valuable Player, will sign with Portland State, according to a text I received from Carter Tuesday night. Carter, who passed for 1,853 yards and 24 touchdowns while rushing for 584 yards and five scores in leading Cajon to a San Andreas League title and a berth in the CIF semifinals, is up at Portland State today to finalize his scholarship before flying down to Arizona for Saturday's SoCal/Arizona all-star game.

Arrived last week, but waited for Colton to finish playing before publishing it. Cajon's do-everything quarterback Thomas Carter earned offensive MVP honors while Colton linebacker Devan Hussey was named defensive MVP for the second straight year.

Superlatives:
Offensive MVP: Thomas Carter, QB, Sr., Cajon
Defensive MVP: Devan Hussey, LB, Sr., Colton

First Team
Offense
Dayln Contreras, QB, Sr,. San Gorgonio
Rory Colbert, RB, Sr., Carter
Tyler Ervin, RB, Sr., Colton
Jamie Snowten, RB, Jr., San Gorgonio
Tyler Telphy, RB, Jr., Rialto
Brandon Charles, WR, Jr., San Gorgonio
Haneef Hill, WR, Jr., Pacific
Ryan Jones, WR, Sr., Cajon
Damontae Kazee, WR, Jr., Cajon
Jordan Becar, OL, Sr,. Cajon
Ivan Grano, OL, Sr., Carter
Julian Ramos, OL, Jr., Rialto
Paul Rodriguez, OL, Sr., San Gorgonio
John Taylor, OL, Sr., Colton
John Pena, K, Jr., Rialto

Defense
Ryan Hunter-Sims, DL, Jr., San Gorgonio
Paul Rodriguez, DL, Sr., San Gorgonio
John Taylor, DL, Sr., Colton
Dion Thompson, DL, Sr., Cajon
Rodney Hardrick, LB, Sr., Colton
Reyshawn Hooker, LB, Jr., Arroyo Valley
Anthony Pomee, LB, Sr., Rialto
Brian Pratt, LB, Sr., San Gorgonio
Damontae Kazee, DB, Jr., Cajon
Davion Lucas, DB, Sr., San Gorgonio
Hastens Roberts, DB, Sr., Colton
Tayvion Smith, DB, Sr., Carter
Robert Williams, P, Sr., Rialto

Second Team
Offense
Jordan Mixon, QB, Sr., Colton
Robert Brown, RB, Sr., San Bernardino
Mike Martin, RB, Sr., San Gorgonio
Khayree Sanders, RB, Jr., Carter
Tyrone Thomas, RB, Jr., Arroyo Valley
Ahmad Cummings, WR, Jr., Arroyo Valley
Daviontay Glass, WR, Sr., San Bernardino
Monroe Offeld, WR, Jr., San Gorgonio
Hastens Roberts, WR, Sr., Colton
Kenneth Clark, OL, So., Carter
Raymond Esparza, OL, Jr., Cajon
Ryan Hanna, OL, Sr., Colton
Tevita Kalavi, OL, Jr., San Gorgonio
Robert Nimmo, OL, Sr., San Bernardino

Defense
Kenneth Clark, DL, So., Carter
Adiem Eboke, DL, Jr., Arroyo Valley
Victor Quintero, DL, Sr., Colton
Nick Seiuli, DL, Jr., Rialto
Miguel Bettancourt, LB, So., Cajon
Daniel Castro, LB, Jr., Carter
Josh Trotter, LB, Jr., Carter
Trayvon White, LB, Sr., San Gorgonio
Kris Brown, DB, Jr., Carter
Bryan Davis, DB, So., Rialto
Khleem Perkins, DB, So., San Bernardino
Tony Wilson, DB, Sr., Arroyo Valley

A new wrinkle we added this year, the preseason all-area team wasn't very easy to put together. But I'm sure these guys will make me look somewhat smart.

OFFENSE
QB - Thomas Carter, Sr., Cajon
RB - Dillon Pretzinger, Sr., Rim of the World
RB - Jeremiah Armstead, Sr., Oak Hills
RB - Tyler Ervin, Sr., Colton
WR - Paul Pitts, Sr., Los Osos
WR - Angel Rivera, Sr., Arroyo Valley
TE - Rodney Hardrick, Sr., Colton
OL - Jamal Prater, Sr., Etiwanda
OL - Jordan Smith, Sr., Redlands
OL - Hector Sotelo, Sr., Serrano
OL - Gary Dixon, Sr., Summit
OL - Jesus Cortez, Sr., Chaffey
Util - Devon Blackmon, Sr., Summit
K - Cody Madsen, Sr., Redlands East Valley

DEFENSE
DL - Ethan Hillyer, Sr., Serrano
DL - John Siliga, Sr., Redlands
DL - Devon Lewis, Sr., Redlands East Valley
DL - Kyle Jerkins, Sr., Apple Valley
LB - Devan Hussey, Sr., Colton
LB - Dennis Taylor, Sr., Kaiser
LB - Jamal Wilson, Sr., Miller
LB - Jimmy Musgrave, Sr., Silverado
DB - Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Sr., Chino Hills
DB - Josh Armstrong, Sr., Redlands East Valley
DB - Desman Carter, Sr., Kaiser
DB - Demontae Kazee, Jr., Cajon
Util - Sateki Finau, Sr., Rancho Cucamonga
P - Jake Van Ginkel, Sr., Upland

As Cajon coach Kim Battin thinks about his team's potential entering this season, he has flashbacks to 2008. Two years ago, the Cowboys went 11-2 with an experienced, veteran team en route to a San Andreas League championship and a run into the Central Division quarterfinals. Battin isn't quite predicting that, but he is feeling good about Cajon's chances this year.

"The expecations are very high. We have a group of seniors that learned from the seniors that made the run two years ago and that were a big part of a team that went 7-3 and made the playoffs last year," Battin said. "There is a lot of experience and motivation here and we are ready to go out there and see what we can do."

A lot of Battin's confidence comes from a loaded offense led by senior quarterback Thomas Carter. Carter (6-0, 185) has started since early in his sophomore season, as he was the triggerman on the Cowboys' semifinal team two years ago. He brings a potent dual-threat element to the Cowboys' spread offense, allowing the Cowboys to throw in several different wrinkles.

The 2008 season was the best season that the Cajon High School football team had in two decades. An undefeated San Andreas League championship, an 11-2 overall record and advancing to the Central Division semifinals between a talented cast that featured UCLA-bound cornerback Marlon Pollard and two-time all-Sun Player of the Year Walter Kazee made for some lasting memories.

But those are memories that Cowboys coach Kim Battin hopes that his team forgets. While 2008 was a great memory, Battin wants to nip any sense of entitlement that could come from that success in the bud.